Published Online:March 2026
Product Name:The IUP Journal of Case Folio
Product Type:Article
Product Code:IJCF060326
DOI:10.71329/CaseFolio/2026.26.1.64-85
Author Name:Samarpita Roy, Talath Begum, Arijit Santikary and A Dinesh
Availability:YES
Subject/Domain:Management
Download Format:PDF
Pages:64-85
This case explores how young entrepreneurs, armed with local knowledge and policy frameworks like the Blue-Green Economy, can transform an ecologically vulnerable region into a resilient and profitable hub by 2050. It aims to foster critical discussions on integrating IKS with innovation, addressing sustainability dilemmas, and rethinking consumerism in fragile ecological zones. The Sundarbans, located at the deltaic confluence of the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers, is vulnerable to a number of escalating threats—rising sea levels, erratic monsoons, soil salinity, and frequent cyclones. These also poses grave risks to the livelihoods of people who primarily depend on fishing, agriculture, and forestry. Ready to take on these challenges is 19 year-old Prasun Halder, a fisherman’s son from a small island village. He represents a new generation that is reimagining survival through innovation and draws on indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) rooted in community-based ecological wisdom and folk traditions. His approach combines IKS with modern technologies such as AI-driven tide prediction, solar-powered aquaculture, and digital storytelling to support sustainable livelihoods.
The water turned amber and gold as a new day dawned and the sun rose slowly over the Sundarbans. Nineteen-year-old Prasun Halder, out fishing with his father, adjusted his oars expertly, cast the net into the still, shimmering river. He had done this every day since he was five going out with his father on these uncertain waters. Back then, the river had seemed to be endless and generous; today, he found it changed.